SCR  2-BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH: MARCH 2007                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS announced SCR 2 to be up for consideration.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MARIT CARLSON-VAN  DORT, staff to Senator  Lesil McGuire, Sponsor                                                               
of  SCR 2,  explained  that SCR  2 would  make  March 2007  Brain                                                               
Injury  Awareness  Month. Alaska  has  the  highest incidence  of                                                               
Traumatic  Brain  Injuries (TBI)  in  the  nation; over  800  are                                                               
reported  annually  and  12,000  Alaskans are  living  with  such                                                               
injuries.  Permanent disabilities  can  often  result. The  Brain                                                               
Injury Association  of America  (BRIA) annually  recognizes March                                                               
as Brain Injury Awareness month.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:39:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  asked about the  difference between  traumatic and                                                               
non-traumatic   brain  injuries,   and  where   prenatal  alcohol                                                               
poisoning fits.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARLSON-VAN  DORT said  that she  did not  know how  the BRIA                                                               
differentiates between the two.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON said that non-traumatic  brain injuries such as FAS                                                               
can still have a profound effect on people.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:40:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS  asked for statistics  on the age groups  in which                                                               
TBIs  occur, and  the types  of  brain injuries  included in  the                                                               
definition.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CARLSON-VAN  DORT  said  that  many  brain  injuries  happen                                                               
rurally, more frequently among Alaska  Natives and males aged 18-                                                               
24. TBIs are often the result of motor vehicle accidents.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:42:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  moved to pass SCR  2 from committee and  asked for                                                               
unanimous consent. There being no objection, the motion carried.